When you can’t get the real thing

Sweet rice wine that adds gloss, gentle sweetness, and umami to sauces and simmered dishes.

• Dry sherry or dry white wine + sugar1 tbsp wine + ½ tsp sugar per 1 tbsp mirin

  Covers the sweetness and the alcohol lift; misses a little of mirin’s rounded depth.

  Good

• Sake + sugar1 tbsp sake + ½ tsp sugar

  If you already keep sake, this is the closest easy swap.

  Good

• Rice vinegar + sugar1 tbsp vinegar + ½ tsp sugar

  Adds sweetness but also acidity mirin doesn’t have — use only in a pinch, and cut any other vinegar in the recipe.

  Last resort

Rice wine that adds depth and tames strong fish or meat aromas in simmered and grilled dishes.

• Dry sherry1:1

  The standard restaurant substitute — nearly indistinguishable in cooked dishes.

  Excellent

• Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)1:1

  A touch more assertive; excellent in bolder braises, slightly much for delicate ones.

  Good

• Dry white wine1:1

  Brighter and more acidic; fine for most simmered dishes.

  Good

• Water

  Loses the aroma-taming and umami, but keeps the liquid volume. Add a pinch of sugar to compensate.

  Last resort

The backbone seasoning. Koikuchi (dark) is the site default.

• Tamari1:1

  Usually gluten-free and a little rounder. The best swap, and the one to use if you need GF.

  Excellent

• Coconut aminosstart 1:1, then taste

  Soy- and gluten-free but noticeably sweeter and less salty; add salt and use less sugar elsewhere.

  Good

• Liquid aminos1:1

  Close in flavor; saltier for some brands, so season to taste.

  Good

Gentle, low-acid vinegar for sushi rice, sunomono, and dipping sauces.

• Apple cider vinegar1:1, diluted slightly

  A little fruitier and sharper; cut with a few drops of water to soften the edge.

  Good

• White wine vinegar1:1, diluted slightly

  Cleaner than cider; still sharper than rice vinegar, so dilute.

  Good

• Distilled white vinegar + sugar1 tbsp vinegar + ¼ tsp sugar, diluted

  Harsh on its own; the sugar and water are doing damage control.

  Last resort

Fermented soybean paste; the soul of miso soup and countless glazes and dressings.

• A different miso (red ↔ white)

  Any miso beats no miso. Red is saltier and deeper, white sweeter and milder — adjust quantity to taste.

  Good

• Chickpea / soybean-free miso1:1

  For a soy allergy — genuinely close, widely available now.

  Good

• Tahini + soy sauce + a pinch of sugar

  Approximates the savory-nutty body for a dressing, but has none of the ferment’s complexity. Not for soup.

  Last resort

A dark finishing oil — a few drops perfume a whole bowl.

• Chinese toasted sesame oil1:1

  The same product under a different label — buy whichever you find.

  Excellent

• Tahini thinned with neutral oil

  Adds sesame flavor but not the toasty aroma or the pourable texture. Emergencies only.

  Last resort

The kombu-and-katsuobushi stock beneath nearly every Japanese dish.

Make it · The real thing is two ingredients and 25 minutes — always the first choice. See our foundations recipe.

• Instant dashi (hondashi) powder1 tsp per 300 ml water

  Honest weeknight compromise — but it’s salted and MSG-boosted, so cut back seasoning elsewhere. Flatter and saltier than fresh.

  Good

• Kombu-only dashi (vegan)

  Cold-steep kombu in water. Missing the smoky inosinate of katsuobushi, but clean and genuinely good — the standard vegan/shōjin base.

  Good

• Dried shiitake soaking water (vegan)

  Deep and earthy; best blended with kombu water. The other half of vegetable dashi.

  Good

• Light chicken or vegetable stock

  Keeps things savory but loses the marine, clean quality that makes Japanese food taste Japanese. Add a strip of kombu while it heats to help.

  Last resort

Shaved dried bonito — the smoky half of dashi and a topping in its own right.

• Instant dashi with bonito

  Carries the flavor into stock; useless as a topping.

  Good

• Omit (kombu + shiitake only)

  Go fully plant-based rather than fake it — a strong kombu-shiitake dashi stands on its own.

  Good

Dried kelp; the glutamate-rich half of dashi.

• A small pinch of MSG

  Adds the glutamate savoriness but none of kombu’s subtle sweetness or body. Truly a stopgap.

  Last resort

• Instant dashi granules

  Since instant dashi already contains kombu extract, it’s the more sensible shortcut if you have it.

  Good

The starch behind karaage’s glassy, pale, shatter-crisp crust and clear thickened sauces.

• Cornstarch1:1

  The everyday swap. Browns a touch faster and the crust is slightly less glassy, but genuinely close.

  Good

• Tapioca starch1:1

  Chewier, very crisp — great for karaage, slightly gummier in sauces.

  Good

Glutinous (sweet) rice flours for chewy wagashi — dango, daifuku, mochi.

• The other one (shiratamako ↔ mochiko)

  Interchangeable with minor texture differences — shiratamako is smoother, mochiko slightly firmer.

  Good

• Any glutinous / sweet rice flour1:1

  Look for “glutinous” or “sweet” on the bag. Chewiness intact.

  Good

• Regular rice flour

  Not glutinous — it won’t give the stretchy chew that defines mochi. The wrong flour, not a substitute.

  Last resort

Coarse, airy Japanese breadcrumbs that fry lighter and crunchier than fine crumbs.

• Coarse dried breadcrumbs

  Tear stale white bread and dry it low in the oven, then crush coarsely. Not as airy, still crisp.

  Good

• Crushed cornflakes

  Big crunch but the wrong flavor and a faster burn — watch it closely.

  Last resort

Seven-spice table blend — chili, sansho, citrus peel, sesame, nori, and more.

Make it · Blend chili flakes, toasted sesame, a little orange zest, and a pinch of ground black pepper.

• Homemade blend (above)

  Hits the main notes; misses the sansho tingle and nori. Genuinely close.

  Good

• Chili flakes or cayenne

  Delivers the heat, none of the fragrance. Fine when you just want a kick.

  Last resort

An intensely aromatic Japanese citrus — floral, sharp, unmistakable.

• Lime + lemon (+ a little grapefruit)equal lime & lemon, splash of grapefruit

  The classic three-way approximation of yuzu’s complex perfume. Surprisingly close for juice.

  Good

• Lime zest & juice

  The single best solo stand-in — brighter and less floral than yuzu, but in the right family.

  Good

A small, sharp green citrus — think a more floral lime, used squeezed over noodles and grilled fish.

• Lime1:1

  The natural stand-in — a squeeze of lime does the same job over cold soba or grilled fish.

  Good

A fragrant herb leaf — minty, basil-like, faintly anise — used fresh with sashimi, rice, and pickles.

• Thai basil

  Closest in the anise-mint direction, but distinctly its own thing.

  Last resort

• Mint + basil, torn together

  Approximates the aroma for a garnish. No real replacement exists — grow shiso if you can; it’s a weed.

  Last resort